From:
"Ferreter"
Date: 2006-07-24 17:46:21 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] 11 week old kit collapse
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
On Friday morning I found one of five hybrid kits in a state of collapse in
his playpen. He was completely 'out of it' - eyes open but not focusing on
anything, he was also shivering. I took him up to my vet (a 10 minute walk).
Alex, examined him and found that his abdominal organs were swollen, he
checked the kit's urine and there was a trace of blood in it. As there were
another four kits in the same litter Alex opted for an exploratory
laparotomy to investigate what was going on inside the kit just in case the
others came down with whatever was affecting this little chap. BTW he
weighed 650 grams.
The gut was completely empty, however it was inflamed and had an increased
blood supply. Alex said that the blood vessels supplying the gut were really
noticeable. He was unable to get a vein to put the kit on a drip so had to
go via the abdomen to get fluids into him, he thinks Jack's BP was too low
to enable him to find a vein.
Saturday morning the kit was still on the drip but there appeared to be a
slight improvement in his condition.
Sunday when I phoned to check up he was sleeping. However, in the afternoon
the report was better he was awake and eating like there was no tomorrow.
Unfortunately he didn't seem to know where his back legs were, and was
unable to move either his back or front legs but he was managing to wriggle
round the cage he was in.
Today is it is a similar report, he's eating well and I guess drinking as
well. The drip has been removed. He's bright and taking an interest in what
is going on around him but still can't move his legs.
Julie will be running some neurological tests on him tomorrow prior to him
coming home in the afternoon.
The play pen the kit was in is about 15" high, so it is unlikely to be as
the result of a fall.
He'd had some raw lamb for his mid-day meal on the Thursday, as did his four
brothers. They had kibble available all the time.
His four brothers are fine, they've been bouncing around the play pen like
lunatics, so I doubt that we are looking at anything viral or infectious.
Has anyone seen this before in a kit or have any ideas what it could be.
After the operation Jack was on antibiotics and metacam plus the drip.
--
Sheila
Bolton Ferret Welfare
e-Ferrets First website http://www.ferretsfirst.net
NFWS web site http://www.nfws.net
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